“A Fish Rots from the Head”: Rising Cases of Extortion in Trinidad and Tobago

Reported excessive use of force, wrongful detention and incompetence are all reasons why police in Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) have come under increasing criticism from local communities, human rights groups and government officials in recent years. In particular, a four month countrywide state of emergency in 2011, meant to address soaring crime rates, resulted in claims that the police used excessive force, with high numbers of young people arrested, and later released, due to lack of evidence. In a country with high levels of crime and gang violence, increasing reports of corruption within the police force are a source of major concern and are indicative of systemic socio-economic problems on the islands.

Whilst many have focused on alleged police brutality on the islands, a number of cases in 2016 also highlighted the increasing frequency of incidents of extortion by members of the police force. In one case in January 2016, four police officers were arrested for attempting to extort a Chinese businessperson by demanding TTD 53,000 (approximately USD 7,850). When the individual refused, the officers stole an undisclosed amount of jewellery. In another incident in December 2016, three Special Reserve Police (SRP) officers appeared before a Port of Spain magistrate, having individually tried to solicit between USD 300 and USD 700 from a man in Diego Martin.

Various studies, conducted by academics and the UK Metropolitan Police, have found that corruption in the T&T police force is endemic at all levels. Indeed, when interviewed about corrupt practices in the force, low-ranking officials have been reported saying, “A fish rots from the head”, underlining perceptions that even top officials are guilty of corruption.

In T&T, extortion can take a number of different forms. For example, local police have been known to demand money from suspects to hide evidence or avoid arrest. In other cases, they have demanded pay from citizens for provision of basic services. Some officers have also been known to use knowledge of other officers’ corruption to keep their own jobs. 

These cases of extortion should be understood within the broader socioeconomic, criminal and political context of T&T and the wider region. The Caribbean as a whole is a known transhipment point for drugs travelling to the US, as well as to Europe and West Africa, with estimates that 30 percent of drugs entering the US are shipped through the region.

Combined with growing inequality, poverty and unemployment, this has led to a proliferation of gangs, and associated violence, in T&T. Social marginalisation is evident among the country’s youth, an issue that was exacerbated by the mass arrests during the state of emergency.

Police officials insist that corruption affects only between four and five percent of the force. However, independent reports put the number much higher, with some estimates as high as a third of officers. Given the limited nature of crime statistics reporting in T&T, it is difficult to get an accurate account of extortion. The nature of the crime also engenders limited reporting given that victims are frequently blackmailed because police have incriminating material on them. 

Compounding this situation are significant fiscal and capacity constraints. Limited resources to investigate corruption result in lengthy investigations and poor conviction rates of officers. In addition, legislation in T&T stipulates that officers are paid 75 percent of their salary whilst suspended during an investigation. As at 2 December 2016, 152 officers (out of a force of 7,000) were suspended for various offences. Such protracted investigations only further contribute to public frustration with the police.

Related to this, one of the major effects of rising extortion is lower levels of trust in the police in local communities. Some police officers are linked to gangs, or gang members, through community or family ties, and a common perception is that police will tip criminals off when a report is made. This is exacerbated by the small, closely linked nature of communities on the islands, with a population of only 1.3 million.

For their part, government and police officials have made numerous attempts at understanding the problems within the police force, commissioning a number of investigations by local academics, as well as US and UK security officials. However, given the few successful prosecutions of corrupt police officers, the limited resources available to police oversight bodies, and the continuing socio-economic issues in T&T, police extortion is likely to remain a problem in 2017.